FTVLive.com

Seven years ago, Dan Hellie got what seemed like a dream job. After several years in Orlando and West Palm Beach, he was finally back home in Washington, working for the legendary George Michael at WRC, the most powerful local station with one of the country’s strongest sports brands.

“I thought I would never leave,” he said this week.

But with his contract set to expire, Hellie did his due diligence, talking to a variety of national sports and news networks. And this week, he’ll announce his next move: to NFL Network, where he’ll anchor the daily ‘NFL Total Access’ look at the league.

“It’s a blessing to go from one unbelievable job to another,” Hellie said. “I feel unbelievably lucky. And I’m not dumb enough to think that luck had nothing to do with it.”

WRC VP of News Mike Goldrick said in a statement that his station has already started a search for Hellie’s replacement, who will join Jason Pugh and Dianna Russini, continuing the station’s three-person sports anchoring staff.

“Dan has been an important part of our team for seven years,” Goldrick said in the statement. “We’re sorry to see him go and will miss him, but he has been offered a great professional opportunity on a national stage.